It's no fish tale; Gator caught in Lake Shawnee
Authorities said someone dumped their pet in the lake
9:35 p.m. Thursday, March 29, 2007
If you spend enough time out on the lake, you're bound to hear a fish tale, about the big one that got away.
But how about a gator in Lake Shawnee? This one caused wild life experts to do a double take.
This isn't exactly the major catch you might expect to come out of a Kansas lake, but this little guy gave fishermen and naturists a big surprise when he popped up on the banks of Lake Shawnee.
"I thought it was a joke," said director of Lake Shawnee Parks and Recreation John Knight.
"I always thought I'd have to go to Florida to fish where there are alligators," said fisherman Ron Mick.
"I would have been lost for words," said fisherman Ronnie Harris.
It isn't exactly the Loch Ness monster, but this four year old American alligator seemed nearly as mysterious to people fishing at Lake Shawnee.
"That's amazing," said Harris.
Learn More
If you are interested, the Smithsonian Nation Zoological Park has more information about alligatiors at their Web site, nationalzoo.si.edu.
A fisherman reported the pet gator to park authorities Friday night, and by Saturday morning, members of Stone Nature Center were on the job, pulling the little guy from the chilly waters.
"The cold water had him a bit lethargic. He wasn't moving very fast," said director of Stone Nature Center, Dennis Dinwiddie.
Wild life experts say the dumping of exotic pets into the wild is becoming a disturbing practice, even here in Kansas.
"More often than you might think. The wild life rehab handles up to 2,000 sick, injured and orphaned animals each year. Many of those are exotic pet calls," said Dinwiddie.
While no one was hurt, this latest move has park officials and fisherman upset.
"This shows a lot of disregard for public safety and it's irresponsible. We're not happy right now," said Knight.
"That alligator could have been in the swimming beach and come summer people could have been hurt," said Harris.
But as authorities try to figure out just who dumped the gator into the lake, employees at Stone Nature Center are working to make sure they find a proper home for the unusual Kansas guest.
"For now, he'll be placed into the hands of our of our reptile specialists who will take him until a better plan can be made for getting him into the wild," said Dinwiddie.
While park officials tell us this is the first time they've had to pull an animal like an alligator out of Lake Shawnee, they say with the growing number of people releasing their exotic pets into the wild, if you do come across one, make sure you call the authorities. Don't try to capture it yourself.
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